The Comprehensive History of Summer Olympics Fashion

We're nearly at the launch of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, where we celebrate the greatest athletes of our time from around the world. But their performances in the modern age owe those split-second wins not only to athletic prowess, but to the breathable, streamlined sportswear they wear, too. Here, we look back on how athletic fashion have changed since the first modern Olympic games began, from the modest floor-length skirts of the early 1900s to today's expanding range of aerodynamic, sweat-wicking technology.

Getty Images

1896

Greek shepherd Spyridon Louis is the winner of the 40 km marathon at the first modern Olympics games held in Athens in 1986. Women are not formally invited to the event, though they're not explicitly barred.

1 of 71

Getty Images

1900

Helen Provost won the silver medal at the tennis women's singles in Paris, and in a full-length skirt, no less. Females taking part had no choice but to play in ankle-length dresses with the long sleeves and high necks of the time period, plus shoes with a heel.

2 of 71

Getty Images

1908

The winner of the Ladies' National Round Archery at the London Olympic Games, Miss Queenie Newall. Yass queen!

3 of 71

Getty Images

1908

Danish gymnasts practicing for the London Olympics.

4 of 71

Getty Images

1908

A Danish gymnast flying off the pommel horse during practice in London.

5 of 71

Getty Images

1920

The San Francisco Olympic water polo team in 1920.

6 of 71

Getty Images

1924

Mexican athletes before boarding a ship to the Olympic games in Paris.

7 of 71

Getty Images

1928

The women's 800 meter race in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is the first year women are allowed to compete in track and field, following pressure from women's leagues as rights for women expand throughout the world.

8 of 71

Getty Images

1928

U.S. swimmer Jane Fauntz ready to plunge into the pool in Chicago, 1928. At this time, women's swimsuits are becoming more streamlined for water sports, and females are no longer prohibited from the sport for showing their legs (like they were in the 1908 Stockholm Olympics).

9 of 71

Getty Images

1932

This year sees the introduction of the Olympic Village, where athletes are encouraged to wear sportswear when off-duty and where uniforms to represent one's country become en vogue. The Olympics also introduced the winners' podium this year, showing off the winning athletes receiving medals.

10 of 71

Getty Images

1932

German fencer Helene Mayer at the games in L.A.

11 of 71

Getty Images

1932

A swimmer at the L.A. Olympics.

12 of 71

Getty Images

1932

German javelin-thrower Ellen Braumueller mid-throw at the games in L.A.

13 of 71

Getty Images

1932

Jules Noel, a French athlete who competed in the discus and shot put, at the games in Los Angeles.

14 of 71

Getty Images

1932

American athlete Babe Zaharias holding a javelin and wearing her Olympic uniform.

15 of 71

Getty Images

1936

On your mark, get set, go: The 100 meters sprint race at the game in Athens. Comfortable sportswear is now de rigueur for both female and male track and field athletes, seen here in loose shorts and fitted vests. Jersey cotton and silk tops and trousers, tracksuits, and off-duty sports blazers become the norm, a departure from the hot wool suits that athletes wore in prior decades.

16 of 71

Getty Images

1936

German women competing in the 4 x 100 meter dash race at the Berlin Olympics.

17 of 71

Getty Images

1936

Jesse Owens, an American track and field athlete who walked away from the Summer Olympics in Berlin with four gold medals.

18 of 71

Getty Images

1936

Jesse Owens and Helen Stephens, another American runner who won two gold medals that year, at the stadium in Berlin.

19 of 71

Getty Images

1936

The American gold-medal-winning rowing team wearing headdresses in Berlin.

20 of 71

Getty Images

1948

British Olympic women's fencing team having lunch on the lawn prior to the opening ceremony of the 1948 London Olympics. The A-line skirt becomes popular for women's female uniforms.

21 of 71

Getty Images

1948

Athletes pass the torch at the Opening Ceremony in London. After WWII, stretch fabrics in sportswear become more common, since they're less restricting on the form during exercise.

22 of 71

Getty Images

1949

British Olympic canoeist Joyce Web taking her canoe out to train on the Thames River at Richmond. She's seen as one of Britain's best hopes for winning the kayak racing events at the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki.

23 of 71

Getty Images

1952

American swimmer Ronald Gora shaking hands with his Japanese opponent, Toru Gotu, in Helsinki following a race. In the '50s, we see the rise of functional synthetic fabrics like Spandex and Lycra that are stretchy and often used to make swimwear.

24 of 71

1956

Wrestler V. Maneev of Russia at the games in Melbourne, Australia.

25 of 71

1956

Great Britain's gold medal-winning fencer Gillian Sheen in Melbourne.

26 of 71

1956

USA's Milton Campbell throwing a discus in the men's decathlon.

27 of 71

1956

Danish equestrian Lis Hartel with her horse Jubilee at the Equestrian Olympic Games in Stockholm.

28 of 71

1960

Wilma Rudolph, an American track and field racer who was considered the fastest woman alive in her time, wearing a straw hat and her team uniform at the Summer Olympics in Rome.

29 of 71

1960

U.S. athletes at the Summer Olympics in 1960. The '60s sees the rise of coordinated tracksuits for men and women.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Marie Claire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.